Theatrical machinery.



GUSTAVE GARNIER- (ALIAS GIRRANE)-& GE SAR GROBON. THEATRIGAL MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED 3111.28, 1009.

960,888, v Patented June 7, 1910.

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GUSTAVE GARNIER (ALIAS GIRRANE)& CESAR GROBON.

THEATRIGAL MACHINERY. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1909.

m u W m J e F L f /flfl a M d 7/ .Z\T1W% m v M W GUSTAVE GARNIER (ALIAS GIRRANEH: CESAR GROBON. I THEATRICAL MACHINERY. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1909.

960,888. Patented June 7, 1910.

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GUSTAVE GARNIER (ALIAS GIRRANE) AND CESAR GROBON, OF LYON, FRANCE.

THEATRICAL MACHINERY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GUsTAvn GARNIER (alias GIRRANE) and OFISAR GROBON, citizens of the French Republic, residing at Lyon, in France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Theatrical Machincry, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for shifting scenery especially applicable to the double scene which forms the subject matter of our prior United States Patent No.

830988 dated 11th September 1906. This system essentially consists in mounting the scene parts on rollers, to permit of passing them from the scene docks on to one of two scenes or vice versa. The upper or aerial tracks described in the aforesaid patent are dispensed with or at least their importance is greatly reduced by restricting their employment to particular instances only. Fur ther the present invention facilitates the mounting of the double scene on stages of restricted size.

The annexed drawings show the invention in diagram, Figure 1 being a front elevation of a double scene of normal size, Fig. 2 a plan view thereof, and Fig.3 a cross-section. Fig. 4 illustrates on an enlarged scale scene carrying pole mounted on rollers and Figs. 5 and 6 show the arrangement of the doublescene in theaters of restricted size.

The double scene 8 s is caused to travel as in the previous patent, on track rails 1" par- The lateral floors are dispensed with, the floor of the double scene being replaced by independent rectangular panels or sections a a, of suitable number supported by trucks Z) which may be moved at right angles to the proscenium on track rails 6 carried by a floor g mounted on the framework of the double scene slightly above the rails r. The said trucks 6 are secured in position by lreys or other means so as to form together an inclined platform or stage and to leave between relatively rectangular free spaces a serving as tracks or grooves for passage of the poles or supports 65 carrying the scene parts.

In certain cases the construction can be simplified by dispensing with the wheels on the trucks 7) and fixing said trucks in position on the floor g by dowels, pins, or other suitable means.

Thesupports d which may be of iron or wood are shown in detail in Fig. 4 and each Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 28, 1909.

Patented June 7, 1910.

Serial No. 474,846.

may be caused to roll on three track rails e of which one rests on the floor r On each center rail travels the bearing wheel it while on the two other rails slightly above the center rail travel four rollers z '5, which secure the pole in a vertical position.

The scene parts are attached to the sup ports cl by means of rings m m which slide on the said support to follow the inclination of the stage floor a. The lower ring m is provided with rollers to facilitate its movement. At the back of the double scene 8 s, a transporter f may be caused to move transversely on track rails, this transporter being of suitable width and of a length equal to the width of one of the scenes. It may be conducted either behind these scenes, or behind the empty compartment of the stage as shown in full lines Fig. 2. The said transporter is divided by grooves 0,, similarly to the grooves 0 of the main scene or scenes in such a manner that the supports d carrying the scene parts can be passed through same and for this purpose it is provided with rails forming extensions of those of the double scene.

The back of the stage is divided into three scene docks or compartments, the two outer ones Z Z being for reception of the scenery ,to be presented successively in the scenes .9 s and the central dock is for reception of the scenery which has been shown. The said docks are provided with grooves or tracks 0 and rails corresponding to those of the double scene and transporter.

Except the back cloths and some suspended accessories, the supports cl are adapted for the transport of all the scenery, the latter being folded either horizontally or vertically and being only unfolded when it is in position in one of the scenes 8 8 The scene 8, Fig. 2, is shown exposed to the view of the audience and the scene 8 is at the left of said. scene 8 with all its scene parts set ready for moving into the position occupied by the scene 8.

The change of scene is effected as follows: The transporter f being in the position f all the scenery which has served in the scene .9 is placed thereon by moving the supports CZ which carry the respective scene parts, whereupon the transporter is wheeled in front of the central dock is and the scene parts mounted on the supports are moved thereinto. The transporter is then passed again to position f and all the scene parts arranged on supports (5 in the deck 1, are passed to the scene a, traversing the transporter during this operation. The change is then ellected by pushing the double scene to the right and jnoceeding similarly with scene a viz: by transporting into the dock is the scene parts which have been shown and drawing the new scene parts all in readiness from the dock Z.

The supports (Z either singly or coupled together in sutlicient number can carry the parts of the front flats or cloths or the complete scenery :tor interiors, wings, top cloths, or the like, for transport or storing. The upper or aerial tracks described in Patent hlo. 830988 having nothing to transport other than the panoramic backgrounds and some suspended accessories can be considerably simplified.

When it is desired to remove one of the trucks 7) to term a recess in the floor formed by the element a, it is simply necessary to move the desired truck 7) to the rear on the rails c. It will be seen that these rails extend under the part 0. Fig. 3 shows the trucks placed under this partby dotted lines indicated by Z). In both cases the movability of the panels or sections a in the vertical direction can be utilized to give to the flooring of the scene inequalities of height which may be desired. In this case the raised sections (4 bearon supports of a height corresponding to the raising of the stage or scene level.

The double scene which is shown in 1 to 3 requires for its operation a stage space of at least three times the width of the proscenium but it such space cannot be pro vided one of the arrangements shown in Figs. 5 and (3 can be employed.

In the arrangement shown in plan Fig. 5, the two scenes .9 a, are arranged as above but are narrower than the opening of the proscenium. The said scenes are alternately placed in the middle of this opening and the spaces remaining at each side thereof are closed by inclined wings 7) 7) pivoted at each side of the two scenes. The said wings which form the frame of the first Flat or cloth fold back as shown at p, to allow of moving the scenes and are further mounted on supports similar to those (Z for the other scene parts and are changeable in the same manner.

In the arrangement shown in vertical section in Fig. (3, the two scenes s s, are super posed and are (llSplHCOd vertically, this arrangement being convenient tor stages where the width of the same only slightly exceeds the opening of the proscenium. The double scene balanced by one or more counter-weights Q is actuated by a hydraulic ram r or by any other suitable mechanism. The stage is divided into three stories, the middle one a at the height ot the proscenium it serves for displaying the scene to view, and the two others 1) v, for storing the scenery. In the drawing the double scene being at the top of its course, the lower scene 5 is being exposed to view while the upper scene .9, emptied of its scenery by means of movable supports (Z which transport the scenery directly into the dock w, from which the new scenery will be obtained. The same takes place for the lower scene 5 when it is lowered in front of the deck a.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In theatrical scenery devices the combination with a displaceable double scene set having a floor comprising a series of interspaced sections or panels, of a plurality of supports for scene parts adapted to be traversed through the spaces between said sections.

2. In theatrical scenery devices the combination with a displaceable double scene set having a floor comprising a series of interspaced ball sections or panels, of a series of scene docks disposed adjacent said double scene set and a plurality of supports for scene parts adapted to be traversed through the spaces between said base sections and stored in said docks.

3. In theatrical scenery devices the combination with a displaceable double scene set having a floor comprising a series of interspaced base sections or panels, of trucks carrying said sections, track rails on which said trucks may be moved, a. series of scene storage docks disposed adjacent said double scene and provided with a series of ways in alinement with the spaces between the base sections, and a plurality of movable supports for scene parts adapted to be traversed through the spaces between said base sections and through the ways in the docks and vice versa.

-1!-. In theatrical scenery devices the combination with a displaceable double scene set having a floor comprising a series of interspaced base sections or panels, of trucks car rying said sections, track rails on which said trucks may be moved, a series of scene storage docks disposed adjacent said double scene and provided with a series of ways in alinement with the spaces between the base sections, a plurality of movable supports for scene parts adapted to be traversed through the spaces between said base sections and through the ways in the docks and vice versa, and a transporter intermediate the scene set and decks, adapted to convey the supports from one or other of the scene sets to any of the storage docks or vice versa.

5. In theatrical scenery devices the combination with a double scene set adapted to be displaced transversely of the proscenium aperture, a floor for said sets comprising a,

series of interspaced base sections separately capable of vertical and horizontal movement, trucks carrying said sections, track rails on which said sections may be moved, a series of scene storage docks disposed to the rear of said double scene, track rails disposed below the floor sections and dock floors a plurality of movable supports for scene parts adapted to be traversed through the spaces between the base sections and stored in said docks, and trucks carrying said supports and adapted to travel on said last mentioned track rails.

6. In theatrical scenery devices the combination with a double scene set adapted to be displaced transversely of the proscenium aperture and each set of a width less than that of said aperture, a floor for said set comprising a series of interspaced sections, scene carrying supports adapted to be traversed through the spaces between said sec tions, and pivoted wings adapted to close the space between the scene sets and the edges of the proscenium aperture.

In witness whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAVE GARNIER, ALIAS GIRRANE. CESAR GROBON.

Witnesses GASTON JEANNIAUX, Trros. N. Bnownn. 

